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  "Wanda," said Ian as he and Jason drew to a stop in front of his petite golden-haired girlfriend, "what are you doing here?"

  "I'm taking a break from our discussions with Healer Long Rivers. I figured I would come wait for you," said Wanda with a growing smile of her own. She rose gracefully off the bottom of the stairs and Ian moved to wrap his arms around her. She stopped, taking a good look at Ian dressed in his dark clothing and she put up a hand to block his embrace. "You're dirty," she admonished him.

  Ian looked down at himself and then Jason. It was hard to not get filthy running around these old tunnels. With a shrug of his shoulders, he pulled Wand's small form to him, despite her protests. She let out a happy shriek as Ian pulled her to him. Putting his arm protectively around Wanda, Ian saw Jason give a quick roll of his eyes at his and Wand's display.

  But Ian also saw Jason focus on Wand's eyes. The short man's flashlight was reflecting off the silver in Wand's eyes. The silver, the trademark of a Soul, cast dancing mirrored light on the steps as all three of them began to ascend the stairs. It wasn't easy for Jason, hell it wasn't easy for any of them. The idea of making a lasting peace with the aliens that had nearly driven mankind to extinction has a bitter pill to swallow. But this small band of rebel Humans was in a unique position to find peace with the Souls. Even while the Seekers still hunted for them and members of the Facility were undoubtedly planning their next attack. Between the big and the little it was a difficult time for them all.

  "Common," grumbled Jason as he led the way up the stairs. "Getting late in the day and I'm starved."

  Wanda and Ian exchanged smiles and followed after Jason.

  "Sunny," said Melanie Strider as she poked her head into the small chamber that made up her and Kyle's small sleep quarters, "are you ready?"

  The Soul named Sunlight Passing Through the Ice looked up from where she was packing a bag. It was an old duffel bag of Kyle's, fade to a washed out blue, the bag had seen better days. Its strap was broken and one nylon handle was attached to the bag by only a few threads. Luckily Sunny didn't have too many clothes and the piece of luggage wasn't even half full of her belongings.

  In a soft gentle voice she replied, "Yes, I think so…" She trailed off and looked down at the floor of the cave. Her shoulders sagging, she let out a long sigh.

  Melanie crossed into the small room and touched Sunny lightly on the arm. Kyle's work to widen Walter's old room resulted in a modest increase in size. Charitable to call it cozy for two people, but by all appearances Sunny loved the little room she shared with Kyle. She had taken to decorating the walls with drawings using pastel chalk, pictures representing sights from the ice world of the Bears. With a reassuring smile Melanie said, "Sunny, it's going to be fine. Kyle and I will be with you the entire time. Nothing bad is going to happen."

  Sunny tried to return Melanie's smile, but it mostly came out as a minor twitch at the ends of her mouth. "I wish this weren't necessary, I would much rather stay here."

  Melanie resisted getting annoyed and kept her voice even. Getting angry wouldn't help with Sunny, raised voices only caused the Soul to cower and retreat. "You've been on raids before, both with Wanda and then just by yourself. You're going to do just fine."

  "But it's going to be so much longer," complained Sunny with a shake of her head. It sent her long curly black hair swishing around her face. Still pensive she continued, "I'm worried I'm going to mess up. Attract the attention of the Seekers and get you all you caught."

  Melanie pursed her lips. She was going to need to take a different approach. The last two months had seen their supplies run dangerously low in the caves. A visit to several cities was needed to replenish everything from food to gardening tools. Up until recently a long term raid would have included Wanda. The golden-haired Soul was an expert at raids and Wanda, much to her chagrin, had become a superb liar when dealing with her own kind. Sunny, on the other hand, had only gone on one short foray to a nearby city. She was prone to panic attacks when it even came to the idea of lying. But Wanda was gone and so it fell to Sunny to fill her role.

  "I know you're scared," said Melanie as she sat down on the mattress that made up Gunny's and Kyle's bed. She pulled her long legs up to her chest and patted the space next to her on the cushion. Sunny sat down next to her, her eyes still downcast in a mix of distress and anxiety. Melanie worked hard at presenting a calm and reassuring tone for the little Soul.

  "I get scared too," began Melanie. "And you're right, it's so much nicer staying here at the caves. Sometimes I wish we never had to leave them." She shared a brief smile with Sunny. Since Kyle brought her to the caves, the Soul had slowly but surely relaxed and made friends with many of the Humans in the caves. Like Wanda, Sunny seemed determined to be of use to their small community and create as little discord as possible. She worked any job she was given without complaint and never took more food than she absolutely needed.

  "But," explained Melanie, "I remember that everyone here depends on the raids. There is a lot of stuff we need that we can only get in the cities." She made a faint motion with her hand indicating Doc's and Sharron room down the corridor. "Doc's nearly out of HEAL. What happens if someone gets hurt and he runs out of medicine?"

  Gunny's eyes widen and with a tiny shake of her head she replied with concern rising in her voice, "No, that would be bad." She drew a deep breath and slowly let it out slowly. "I guess I have to help." She gave Melanie a tentative smile and stood up from the bed.

  As Melanie stood up, Sunny added in a wistfully, "I just wish Wanderer was going with us. I miss her."

  "So do I Sunny," replied Melanie. Her own words growing thick in her throat as thought about her 'Soul Sister'. Wanda was working away at forging a peace agreement with a group of friendly Souls and Humans in Chicago. This group worked in secret, but they had hopes in time they could take their initiative for co-existence between Humans and Souls public. As usual, the major roadblock towards finding such peace was the Seekers.

  Ever since their near-disastrous expedition to Chicago, the Seekers had been hunting for them. During their time in Chicago, Lacey had briefly impersonated the black clothed Seeker she had once been. Her ruse was discovered and Lacey barely escaped. This had set off a chain reaction within the ranks of the Seekers. They had believed the Soul controlling Lacey to be dead, lost out in the desert while she vainly looked for Humans. With the discovery that her host was alive and well, the Seekers had returned in force to the surrounding desert.

  While the Seekers didn't know about Jab's caves, they left barely an inch of the surrounding area unscratched. Helicopters swarmed in the sky as teams of Seekers looked on the ground for any evidence of Humans, past or present. And they would have been found if it weren't for the help of the two Seekers in Chicago. Bright Moon on Fallen Snow and Night Ember Lights provided information on the Seekers' movements and search patterns to the Marc and the other rebels in Chicago. They in turn covertly relayed the information to EJB and the others via Ham radio.

  Even with the inside information on the Seekers search plans it had been a harrowing time. The sounds of the helicopters flying overhead brought up bad memories in Melanie, remembering when Wanda had sat with Walter in her body as the Seeker repeated passed over. Fearing the Seekers were using infrared monitors, they dared not even use the stoves to cook food. EJB had joked that they must have their own spy satellite monitoring them by now. No one had found his joke funny.

  Eventually the Seekers had given up the search and moved on to other areas to search for rouge Humans. Life was slowly returning to normal in the caves. With the pressing need for supplies EJB and Jarred had decided they would risk leaving the safety of their home.

  Leaving Sunny to finish her packing Melanie walked down the path in caves leading back to the main cavern. As she entered the massive chamber, the rays of the afternoon sun reflected brightly on the overhead mirrors. In the center of the room stalks of the waist-high corn grew in neat lines. About a dozen men and women worked away at watering and fertilizing the dry soil. She took sight of the young boy and the old man working at one side of the field.

  "But Uncle EJB," she heard Jamie complain as she walked up, "why can't I use the radio to talk to Ian and Wanda?"

  Melanie caught the sound of a resigned sigh from her uncle. "Jamie, that radio isn't a toy. It's not for making social calls."

  Jamie grumbled under his breath as he went back to watering the soil from his rusty worn bucket. His mumbling was something her brother was doing more often these days. He had all the prospects of becoming quite the surly teenager. Melanie's motherly instincts towards her brother warred with her sisterly annoyance at his behavior. She decided on a tactful response to his peevish attitude.

  "Jamie," she began once she had closed the distance to him. "I know you miss them, we all do. But we can't use the radio for more than just few minutes a day. We can't risk the Seekers finding out."

  "I know," growled Jamie in response, "I get it Mel, I'm not stupid."

  This was becoming his default response to her lately. Trying and failing to keep her voice down she shot back, "Jamie, I didn't say that. I know…"

  Jamie interrupted her rudely as he dropped his bucket on the ground. It made a loud splash as the water sloshed out. "You don't listen to me! It's not like I want to talk for an hour. Just wanted to hear…their voices, that's all."

  "Hey now," said EJB in usual slow and deliberate words as he watched the two sibling's exchange grow heated. He nodded towards Jamie and spoke calmly, "Jamie you just keep working on this here corn. I need to speak to your sister alone."

  "Fine," came Jasmine's one-word response as he turned back to his bucket. Jab's lips pursed together in a tight line, but he said nothing further. Melanie was more than ready to keep up going with her brother, but her uncle gently but firmly took her by the arm. He led her a short distance down the rows of corn till they exited the crops and they were well out of earshot of everyone else in the main cavern.

  "Don't be minding Jamie," said EJB after giving Melanie a few moments to cool down. "He's a Strider man and at the age where he's mostly spit and fire."

  "Uncle EJB, he can't go around acting like that…" started Melanie.

  "Easy," replied EJB as he held up his hands in a placating manner. "I know…but there is no use getting all worked up now. You're going to be leaving soon and there is no point having bad blood between you two." EJB didn't need to add the danger Melanie would be in while she was away and the possibility she wouldn't come back.

  Letting out a tired sigh, Melanie's eyes drifted to the floor. "He still blames me for leaving Wanda behind…" She trailed off and then she looked back up at EJB. "But it wasn't like that! It was Wand's choice! You know how she is when she gets it in her head to do something."

  "Oh, I know," replied EJB with a smile. "Trust me, I understand." He looked around the cavern as the people tended to the crops. "We owe those city folk plenty and if Wanda can pull off her plans, we'll all benefit. It's just Jamie is still young enough to feel like he's been abandon by Wanda."

  Melanie gave her uncle a wry smile and said, "If Wanda heard that she'd tear across the country to reassure Jamie."

  Jab's smile grew to a broad grin. "Well, why do you think I keep that boy off the radio? We need to keep Wanda focused on her work. But don't worry about Jamie, he'll come around in time, you'll see."

  "What about Jamie?" came Shred's voice from behind her. Melanie turned to see Jarred and Kyle walking up to join them. Taking Shred's extended hand, Melanie pull the suntanned man close to her. Kyle followed after him and the four of them formed a small circle.

  "It's nothing," replied Melanie with a dismissive wave of her hand at her brother. "Jamie is just being…well he's being a teenager."

  "Ah," replied Jarred. He'd seen enough examples of Jasmine's recent behavior and Meld's reactions to her brother's antics. Lately he had found himself playing the peacemaker between the two. Now he wisely decided to not get involved.

  "Well then," said EJB, drawing the conversation back to himself. "I see the three of you of are ready to go." He gave a quick glance around the cavern and inquired, "Where's Sunny?"

  "She was finished packing in her room," replied Melanie.

  "And how is she?" asked EJB as turned to Melanie and then Kyle. There was meaning in his words as he looked between the two. Responsibility for everyone in the caves was failing on the Soul's small shoulders and EJB wanted to be sure she was ready.

  Melanie glanced to Kyle. The elder Sashes brother nodded slowly to himself and then answered. "Gunny's nervous of course." Kyle grew somber as he continued, "But we've talked a lot. She really wants to help us. She would never intentionally hurt anyone here."

  "No one here is saying that," said EJB.

  "But we're keeping things from her," replied Kyle as he focused on EJB and then on to Melanie, "I don't know if that's a good idea. Once she's back around Souls, she's bound to hear what happened in Chicago."

  Melanie grimaced, it was on her recommendation that Sunny not be told about everything that had happened in on their expedition. Of their deadly encounter with Agents from the shadowy Facility. How these men were 'Recovered'. Their brains and the attached Souls surgically modified to allow the Humans conscious to regain control of their bodies. Easily passing as a Soul, they retained the alien's tell-tale silver-ringed eyes. It allowed them to infiltrate the Souls' society with devastating effects.

  "I know," said Melanie with a sigh, "But I was worried it would freak Sunny out. She already has a lot to worry about and I didn't want to add to it." She gazed to the ground, her voice growing soft as she recalled her last encounter with these 'Recovered' humans. "I don't know what was done to these people, but the one called Williams," and she shuddered at the man's name, "something woke up within him…something dark and twisted."

  She felt Jarred squeeze her hand and she leaned into him for support and comfort. Kyle weighed her argument for a moment and then shrugged non-committed. "I'm just saying, we kept secrets from Wanda and that didn't turn out so well." They all shifted uncomfortably at memories of Wanda discovering Doc's botched surgery to remove Souls. Melanie couldn't think of anything to say in response so they all lapsed into an uneasy silence. Kyle had a distant expression on his face, recalling his own memories of dealing with Wanda in the beginning. At length Kyle shook himself from his own reverie and said, "I'll see how Gunny's doing."

  As Kyle walked off Jarred shook his head slowly and said with an edge of disbelief in his voice, "I'm still trying to adjust to Kyle being a voice of reason around here."

  "Ah, change is good," replied EJB with a grin as he watched Kyle head down a side passage. "If a man like Kyle can grow some sense, it speaks volumes to the potential of the human race." He turned back to Jarred and asked, "You'll be leaving soon?"

  "As soon as the sun's down," answered Jarred with nod.

  EJB nodded as well. "Well...I've Got work around here to do." He turned to leave but then paused and looked both Melanie and Jarred over, as if to memorize the couple in his memory. In a soft voice he said, "Be careful, be safe, and come home as soon as you can."

  Jarred made a small inclination of his head in agreement with the old man. But Melanie let go of Shred's hand and crossed the distance to her uncle. She embraced him tightly and whispered, "I will Uncle EJB."

  EJB patted her lightly on her back and then whispered his own response to Melanie. "Makeup with Jamie before you go, don't leave angry. You'll regret it if you do."

  Melanie forced down a resigned groan and merely shook her head in slight bemusement of her uncle's requests. "Alright, alright, I will."

  After EJB had left to oversee the planting in the north field Melanie walked over to where Jamie continued to work on watering the corn. Jarred followed her but kept a distance to allow the two a certain amount of privacy. Brother and sister stood silent for a few moments. Melanie was about to speak when Jamie went first.

  Still looking down as he poured water on the thirsty plants Jamie said, "You're going soon." It wasn't a question, just a statement of fact.

  "Jamie," began Melanie but she then stopped herself. She didn't want to lecture or scold him again. Jamie was growing up, and this world they now lived in didn't allow the luxury of having an idyllic or lengthy childhood. "Jamie, baby, I'll miss you." Her voice becoming tight with emotion.

  Half a second, that was all it took to have Jamie revert from a teenager to a little boy. He had dropped his bucket and embraced her tightly before Melanie knew what had happened. She smiled to herself as she hugged him back. She felt Jarred come up behind her and then there was a third set of arms, encircling both siblings. They all held on to each other in a soft silence.

  Melanie could feel when Jamie spoke, his head was in her shoulder. He was running through another of his growth spurts. Soon he'd be as tall as her. "Love you Mel, please come back."

  "I will Jamie," said Melanie, "I promise."

  "Well, another day, another dollar," said Seeker Owen as he completed his review of his report displayed on the monitor. He smiled to himself, the day was drawing to a close and he felt happy at his completed work. Turning in his chair, he took a moment to look out of his cubical office. The large square windows running the length of the office area permitted a beautiful view of the late afternoon in Washington DC.

  From behind him in their shared office Seeker Grey Dawns shook his head slowly. "Honestly Owen, you say some of the strangest things." His voice held light amusement as he spoke to his friend. "You say things like that or 'A penny saved is a penny earned.' What is that supposed to mean?"

  Owen turned in his chair to face his friend. Seeker Grey Dawns or at least Grey Dawns' body was broad-faced man with jet black hair neatly slicked back. While his face was plain and unremarkable, Grey Dawns had distinct sharp blue eyes. Eyes which had a talent for detail and spotting even the smallest of irregularities. A most useful trait for his calling. Like Owen, Ogre's human host was a little on the short side compared to most Human hosts. A minor physical quirk, but the similarity had been the basis for the two to become good friends.